Buying a new home is always a stressful process but you can make it a lot easier for yourself if you go for a new build instead of an older property. It’ll be ready to move into right away and you won’t have to spend any time or money renovating and decorating the place. But there have been a lot of stories in the news recently about problems with new build homes and the quality of workmanship. There are a lot of people that are stuck with homes that they can’t sell and there’s no way of getting their money back. You don’t want to find yourself in that situation so you need to make sure that you don’t take anything for granted. Don’t assume that everything will be fine just because it’s a new build and make sure to look for these things before you sign anything. 

Dodgy Developers 

The majority of house developers are perfectly legit, but there are some dodgy ones out there that want to maximize profits by cutting corners and throwing up houses as quickly as possible. The houses in these developments are not good quality and you’ll end up stuck with a house that is filled with problems. That’s why it’s important to research the construction company first. Do a quick Google search and see whether anybody is talking about them online. You’ll soon find something if there have been problems with them in the past. 

Warranty 

This is a big one because if there are any problems, you need to make sure that you’re not stuck paying to fix them all. If a new build home doesn’t come with a warranty, that’s a big red flag. There are plenty of beautifully designed houses for sale that do come with a warranty so there’s never any reason to buy a property that doesn’t. Make sure that the warranty covers structural issues as well, not just the cosmetic problems, because they will be the most expensive ones to fix. Always double check the warranty before you sign anything. 

Energy Efficiency 

Most new build houses are a lot more energy efficient than older properties but that doesn’t mean they’re all perfect. Some that have been built cheaply might not have very good insulation and windows etc. If the house isn’t very efficient, you’ll end up paying massive energy bills every months and nobody wants that. Always ask the seller about rough estimates for the monthly energy costs before you agree to anything. 

Resale Value 

You never know when you might want to move again so you need to look to the future and consider the resale value, especially as you’ll be paying a premium for a new build house. Check out the local neighborhood and look for any other houses that are on sale. What are the prices like? If they’re low, it might be because the area is going downhill and a lot of people are moving out. In that case, you don’t really want to be buying a house there. 

If you check these things before you buy a new build property, you can avoid getting saddled with a money pit that you can’t sell on further down the line.